Strawberry plant Dorit

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct variety of strawberry (Fragaria L.) called &#34;Dorit&#34; is disclosed. The variety is a cross between &#34;Dover A&#34; and &#34;Nurit&#34;, which results in a variety that flowers several months earlier than other known strawberry varieties.

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/489,440 filed Mar. 6, 1990, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of strawberry (Fragaria L.) called "Dorit". The variety was developed from an organized scientifically designated breeding program carried out at the Agricultural Research Organization, the Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel. The variety is the product of selection of seedlings resulting from crosses between the strawberry varieties "Dover A" and "Nurit". The variety was asexually vegetatively propagated through runners and the reproduction ran true.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new variety "Dorit" is able to grow in September and produce fruit starting in November and lasting until summer. The production of fruit beginning in November is two months earlier than any known variety of Fragaria L. The fruit of the "Dorit" variety is characterized by good taste, good shape and size as well as a long shelf life.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1. Photograph of the "Dorit" variety illustrating the foliage and fruit.

FIG. 2. Photograph of the "Dorit" variety illustrating the fruit.

FIG. 3. Photograph of the "Dorit" variety illustrating the entire plant with both flowers and fruit.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The "Dorit" variety was grown in winter under polyethylene tunnels in Israel. "Dorit" is a short day variety that flowers earlier than other known and available short day length strawberry varieties. Flowering and fruit production is not affected by the use of polyethylene wind tunnels. This production procedure is utilized in normal agricultural practices by the skilled artisan and does not involve temperature or light control. Mother plants were stored at 0° C. from January through April. They were then planted in the nursery without further treatment. Runners with plantlets were produced during summer. These young plantlets were collected from the nursery in September and transferred to raised beds. Average temperatures at that time of the year are 30° C. during the day and 22° C. at night. Water and fertilizers were applied through drip irrigation. An example of an optimum planting date is between September 20th to the 25th with the approximate date of flowering on October 27, and the approximate date of first fruiting on November 27. "Dorit" flowering is not induced by chilling, but by natural exposure to short day length (long nights) characteristic of late fall and early winter. Color readings described herein were taken under natural light conditions and color identifications were made by reference to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.C.C.) except where common terms of color definition are employed.

The pertinent characteristics of the present invention are presented in Table 1 and Table 2. Additionally, the variety "Dorit" (1) has no tendency toward fruit malformation; (2) disease resistance appears normal in that no particular problematic conditions arose during trials; and (3) the type of bearing is not remontant (e.g., "Dorit" blooms perpetuously, during late fall and winter).

Fruit shape of "Dorit" is similar to the strawberry variety "Pajaro". The fruit is longer than broad, with primary, secondary and tertiary fruit possessing distinct shape (Table 2). The fruit is of medium firmness with an orange red color (Table 2).

The variety "Dorit" flowers several months earlier than known strawberry varieties. One of the closest known varieties would be "Karina" (Table 1) as well as the new varieties under co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 07/735,969 ("Sharon"), 07/735,965 ("Shalom"), 07/735,967 ("Smadar"), and 07/735,970 ("Saaid"). Additionally early flowering results in early fruit production for "Dorit" and the four co-pending varieties (Table 3). Total Soluble Solids (TSS), percent acidity and aroma are presented in Table 4 by comparison to the varieties listed in Table 3.

                  TABLE 1                                                          ______________________________________                                         PLANT CHARACTERISTICS OF "DORIT"                                               MORPHOLOGICAL              COMPARABLE                                          TRAIT        DESCRIPTION.sup.a                                                                            VARIETY.sup.b                                       ______________________________________                                         Classification                                                                              Botanical-                                                                     Fragaria L.                                                       Plant habit  Flat-Globose  "Senagana"                                          Plant density                                                                               Medium        "Gorella"                                           Plant vigor  Strong        "Grande"                                            Leaf:                                                                          a) Length    15-20 cm                                                          b) Width     13-18 cm                                                          c) Color     Green Group 143 A                                                              (RHSCC)                                                           1) Upper Side:                                                                              Medium Green                                                      2) Lower Side:                                                                              Medium Green                                                      d) Blistering                                                                               Weak                                                              e) Cross-section                                                                            Concave                                                           f) # of leaflets                                                                            Sometimes >3                                                      Terminal leaflet                                                               a) Length/Width                                                                             As long as broad                                                  ratio                                                                          b) Shape of base                                                                            Obtuse                                                            c) Shape of teeth                                                                           Rounded                                                           d) Length    7-9 cm                                                            e) Width     6-8 cm                                                            Flower                                                                         a) Size      Large         "Dominal".sup.c                                     b) Size of calyx to                                                                         Much larger                                                       corolla                                                                        c) Size of inner calyx                                                                      Smaller                                                           versus outer calyx                                                             d) Spacing of petals                                                                        Overlapping                                                       e) Petal length/width                                                                       Broader than long                                                              to as long as                                                                  broad                                                             f) Time of flowering                                                                        Early         "Karina".sup.d                                      Stolon                                                                         a) Number    Many          "Gorella".sup.e                                     b) Thickness Medium                                                            c) Pubescence                                                                               Strong                                                            d) Anthocyanin                                                                              Absent or very                                                    coloration   weak                                                              Petiole                                                                        a) Pose of hairs                                                                            Outwards                                                          b) Length    7-9 cm                                                            c) color     Medium Green                                                      Inflorescence                                                                  a) Position relative                                                                        Beneath                                                           to foliage                                                                     Stamen       Normal                                                            Pistil       Normal                                                            ______________________________________                                          .sup.a The description of "Dorit" is based on the test guidelines for          Fragaria L. of the International Union for the Protection of New Plant         Varieties, (UPOV).                                                             .sup.b Only characteristics which are relevant for comparing varieties ar      listed. For example, there are no varietal differences acknowledged in th      characteristic "color of lower side of leaf".                                  .sup.c The flower size of the "Dorit" variety is also larger than flowers      of the variety "Gorella".                                                      .sup.d "Dorit" flowers at the end of October. One of the earliest known        varieties for comparison is "Karina", which flowers in January.                .sup.e "Dorit" still produces more runners than the comparable variety,        "Gorella".                                                               

                  TABLE 2                                                          ______________________________________                                         FRUIT CHARACTERISTICS OF "DORIT".sup.a                                         CHARACTERISTIC       DESCRIPTION                                               ______________________________________                                         Time of ripening     Early                                                     Ratio of length/maximum width                                                                       Longer than broad                                         Primary Fruit.sup.b  Bi-conical                                                Length               43-50 mm                                                  Width                30-36 mm                                                  Secondary Fruit      Conical                                                   Length               33-37 mm                                                  Width                27-32 mm                                                  Tertiary Fruit       Ovoid                                                     length               28-30 mm                                                  width                25-26 mm                                                  Size                 Large                                                     Band without achenes Narrow                                                    Unevenness of surface                                                                               Weak                                                      Color                Orange red                                                Evenness of color    Even                                                      Glossiness           Medium                                                    Insertion of achenes Level with surface                                        Insertion of calyx   Level with surface                                        Pose of calyx segments                                                                              Reflexed                                                  Size of calyx in relation                                                                           Same size                                                 to fruit diameter                                                              Adherance of calyx   Strong                                                    Firmness             Medium to firm                                            Color of Flesh       Light red                                                 Evenness of flesh color                                                                             Even                                                      Sweetness.sup.c      Strong                                                    Color                42 BC circa (RHSCC)                                       Taste.sup.c          Good                                                      ______________________________________                                          .sup.a The shape of "Dorit" fruit is similar to that of the variety            "Pajaro".                                                                      .sup.b There is a marked difference between the shape of the primary,          secondary and tertiary fruit.                                                  .sup.c See Table 4.                                                      

                  TABLE 3                                                          ______________________________________                                         COMPARATIVE YIELD OF "DORIT".sup.a                                                    Nov. Dec.     Jan.   Feb.   Mar. Apr.                                   ______________________________________                                         Dorit    30     70       100  100    100  100                                  Sharon.sup.b                                                                            40     60        80   80     80   80                                  Shalom.sup.c                                                                            50     70        80  100    100   70                                  Smadar.sup.d                                                                            50     70       100  100    100   50                                  Saaid.sup.e                                                                              0     70       100  100    100  100                                  Douglas.sup.f                                                                            0      0        40  150    150  150                                  Chandler.sup.g                                                                           0      0        30  150    150  120                                  ______________________________________                                          .sup.a Average yield in g/m.sup.2 in Ramat Hadar, Israel (1989-90). The        time of ripening for "Dorit" fruit is early.                                   .sup.b U.S. Application Ser. No. 07/735,969. The time of ripening for          "Sharon" fruit is very early.                                                  .sup.c U.S. Application Ser. No. 07/735,695. The time of ripening for          "Shalom" fruit is early.                                                       .sup.d U.S. Application Ser. No. 07/735,967. The time of ripening for          "Smadar" fruit is very early to early.                                         .sup.e U.S. Application Ser. No. 07/735,970. The time of ripening for          "Saaid" fruit is early to medium.                                              .sup.f U.S. Plant Pat. #4,487. The time of ripening for "Douglas" fruit i      late.                                                                          .sup.g U.S. Plant Pat. #5,262. The time of ripening for "Chandler" fruit       is late.                                                                 

                  TABLE 4                                                          ______________________________________                                         COMPARATIVE FRUIT CHARACTERISTICS OF "DORIT"                                           T.S.S..sup.a                                                                           Acidity.sup.b                                                          in %    in %     Aroma     Taste                                       ______________________________________                                         Dorit     8.5-9.5   1.0      5       Good                                      Sharon.sup.c                                                                             6.5-7.0   1.0      3       Slightly                                                                       Acidic                                    Shalom.sup.d                                                                             8.0-9.0   1.0      4       Normal                                    Smadar.sup.e                                                                             8.5-9.5   1.0      5       Good                                      Saaid.sup.f                                                                              8.0-9.0   1.0      3       Normal                                    Douglas.sup.g                                                                            6.5-7.0   0.8      3       Slightly                                                                       Acidic                                    Chandler.sup.h                                                                           6.5-7.0   0.8      3       Slightly                                                                       Acidic                                    ______________________________________                                          .sup.a Total Soluble Solids expresses fruit sweetness and was determined       with a refractometer.                                                          .sup.b Percent of acidity was determined as follows: 2 cc of juice extrac      was mixed with 20 cc of water. Five drops of fenolfthaleinen was added an      the mixture was titrated with NaOH. The percent acidity is calculated as       the quantity of NaOH (cc) × 0.32.                                        .sup.c U.S. Application Ser. No. 07/735,969.                                   .sup.d U.S. Application Ser. No. 07/735,695.                                   .sup.e U.S. Application Ser. No. 07/735,967.                                   .sup.f U.S. Application Ser. No. 07/735,970.                                   .sup.g U.S. Plant Pat. #4,487.                                                 .sup.h U.S. Plant Pat. #5,262.                                            

What is claimed is:
 1. A new distinct variety of strawberry substantially as illustrated and described and distinguished as being able to grow in September and produce fruit starting in November and lasting until summer, with fruit having a good taste and shape and a long shelf life. 